As more paper-based workflows are managed electronically, such a paperless offices, the need for electronic signatures is increasing. Conventional solutions attempt to replicate the experience of signing a document through the emulation of conventional pen to paper, i.e., “wet,” signatures using, for example, touch screen, computer pen, computer mouse or other specialized input device. A system requiring a specialized input device limits the proliferation and adoption of such systems. Using a finger or other device on a touch screens requires the specialized touch screen device and is also slow, cumbersome, unfamiliar to a typical user and frequently results in a signature that is a poor representation of a wet signature. Similarly, the use of specialized hardware such as computer pens are unfamiliar to the typical user as the signature often is misaligned with where the pen touches the screen, and the touch screen sensitivities result in “shaky” signatures. In addition, as described above, the requirement of a specialized pen is a hindrance to adoption of such systems. The use of a computer mouse is also a poor substitute of a wet signature as the use of a mouse to sign a document is unfamiliar and results in signatures that often bear little resemblance to wet signatures. Such poor representations of signatures results in authentication concerns.
Alternatively, conventional electronic signatures can be typewritten, such as the name between backslash characters, “/signature/”. However, a problem with this technique is that such signatures are easy to forge and therefore present authentication concerns.